Health effects coronary heart diseases

See also Antioxidants Diet and Antioxidant Defense Observational Studies. Ascorbic Acid Physiology, Dietary Sources and Requirements. Carotenoids Chemistry, Sources and Physiology Epidemiology of Health Effects. Coronary Heart Disease Lipid Theory. Selenium. Vitamin E Metabolism and Requirements Physiology and Health Effects. 

No human health effects have been detected at COHb blood levels below about 2% ( background levels in non-smokers average about 0.5%). Subtle effects on the nervous system, such as reduced ability to sense certain time intervals, have been reported at blood levels of 2.5%. At COHb levels of 5% certain cardiovascular changes are detectable, especially in patients with coronary heart disease. Heavy smokers exhibit COHb levels in the range of 5-6%, and if they happen to be pregnant, the fetus can suffer the effects of oxygen deprivation. 

The adverse effects of saturated fats on the plasma Upid profile translate into adverse effects on human health. It has been demonstrated in clinical trials that there is a clear correlation between the percent of dietary energy as saturated fats and the incidence of coronary heart disease and mortality." It follows that limiting your intake of saturated fats is a prudent course of action. 

Because of human consumption of plant and plant products, there has been much interest on the impact of flavonoids on human health and this has been recently reviewed [149, 150 and ref therein]. Additionally, Passamonti et al. [151] have recently reviewed the issue of bioavailability of dietary flavonoids. Citrus flavonoids have been shown to have many beneficial effects on human health including anti-inflammatory activity, anticancer activity, antioxidant activity, and protection against coronary heart disease [reviewed in 152-154]. This has led to... 

A modest but not significant inverse correlation between the intake of flavonols and flavones and subsequent mortality rates was found in a prospective cohort study of US Health Professionals by Rimm et al [206]. The authors do not exclude that flavonoids have a protective effect in men with established coronary heart disease although strong evidence was missing. Also other studies failed to demonstrate a significant statistical association between the intake of polyphenols and CHD. In Great Britain for instance coronary and total mortality even rose with the intake of the major flavonol source, tea [207], The most likely explanation for the latter observation is that in this study tea consumption merely acted as a marker for a lifestyle that favours the development of cardiovascular disease. Indeed, men with the highest intake of tea and flavonols tended to be manual workers, and they smoked more and ate more fat [208],... 

The effects of wine and its polyphenol constituents on early indicators of coronary heart disease such as elevated levels of plasma lipids, platelets and serum antioxidant activity were discussed in a review by Cooper et al. (2004). This review also addressed whether the polyphenols or alcohol are responsible for the beneficial effects of wine on cardio-vascular health. The authors conclude that red wine polyphenols have little effect on plasma lipid concentrations, but that wine consumption reduces the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to oxidation and increase serum antioxidant capacity. These effects, however, do depend on the amount of wine that is consumed and the period of supplementation. It was suggested that specific polyphenols appear to have endothelium-dependent vaso-relaxing abilities. Red wine phenolics also have an inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation. Evidence suggests that alcohol has a positive synergistic effect with wine polyphenols on some atherosclerosis risk factors. Thus, evidence that wine drinking is beneficial for cardiac health appears positive. 

The observation of a lower incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and certain types of cancers in the Mediterranean area led to the hypothesis that a diet rich in grain, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, wine in moderate amounts, and olive oil was beneficial to human health. To date, this effect has been mainly attributed to the low saturated fat intake of the Mediterranean diet and its high proportion of monounsaturates, which indeed may favorably affect the plasma lipid and lipoprotein profiles. Nevertheless, other components of the diet, such as fiber, vitamins, flavonoids, and phenols, may play an important role in disease prevention, acting on different cardiovascular variables. 

The present data clearly demonstrate that in the rat, low doses of EM-800 prevent bone loss and lower serum cholesterol levels without stimulatory effect on the endometrium, and previous studies have described the pure antiestrogenic activity of this compound in the mammary gland. Such data are encouraging and suggest that the antiestrogen EM-652 and its precursor EM-800 have the potential for exerting simultaneous beneficial effects on four important aspects of women s health, namely, prevention and/or treatment of breast and uterine cancer, osteoporosis, and coronary heart disease. 

The use of phytosterols as part of diet therapy to lower LDL-C and risk for CAD is supported by both the NCEP guidelines and the FDA s health claim about the relationship between the consumption of plant sterol and stand esters and reduced risk of coronary heart disease. This section briefly discusses the efficacy of the phytosterols as arguably the most effective dietary approach to lower plasma LDL-C in most types of subjects with the least impact on habitual diets. 

Perkins KA. The synergistic effect of smoking and serum cholesterol on coronary heart disease. Health Psychol 1985 4(4) 337-60. 

There is a decrease in the consumption of red meat in response to concern about health effects of fat and cholesterol — which are implicated in coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and obesity. Parallel to this is the increase in the use of poultry and fish. The dollar value of poultry in 1984 was 15.4 billion, an increase of 37% from 1983. Seafood per capita consumption was 13.6 pounds in 1984, an all-time high. The use of surimi, a restructured fish product, is on the rise and could reach a billion pounds in 1990. A simulated form of crab legs using surimi technology is gaining adherents. 

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